Grift



(No Model.) a SheetsSheet- 1.'

' A. J. VANDEGRIPT.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 367,476. Patented Aug. '2, 1887- (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. J. VANDEG'RIPT. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 367,476.- Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

FK N (No Model.) 6 Sheets--Sheet 3.

'A. J. VANDEGRIFT.

STEAM ENGINE. .170. 367,476. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

' Fig.5

Fiat est: I'm: en't or.

6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' mama.

A. J. VANDEGRIPT.

STEAM ENGINE.

' No. 367,476. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

FiglO.

N. PETEHS. muwmho n m, Wahinlloa. n. c.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

A. J: VANDEGRIFT.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Aug NE I v lnvenkor:

N. PETERS, PholwLilhugmphnr. Washingkm. 1C.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

' A. J. VANDEGRIFT.

' STEAM ENGINE Patented Aug. *2, 188.7.

v lllll IRE: e st w Invewwv;

off valves.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. VANDEGRIFT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 867,476, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed September 6, 1886. Serial No. 212,824. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. VANDE- GRIFT, of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement relates to that class known as automatic cut-off steam-engines, and more especially to that subdivision thereof having piston-valves.

It consists in the construction of the main and cut-off valves and in the means for operating the cut-off valve, substantially as shown in the annexed drawings, making part of this specification and exhibiting the most desirable mode of carrying out the improvement, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam-engine of the ordinary construction, saving as modified by the present improvement, which is embodied in the engine. Fig. 2 is a plan of, the same, portions being shown in section. Fig. 3 is-a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig.

1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of thevalvechest, valves, and side pipe. Fig. 5 is a similar horizontal section, but showing the cutoff valve in plan view, as well as a portion of one of the linings in which the main valve works. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the valves and valve-chest. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the valve-chest and main valve, but showing the cutoff valve and parts moving therewith in elevation. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the main valve, its shell at one end being in section to exhibit one of the linings in-the ends, respectively, of the main valve. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section of the valve'chest, main valve, and cut-off valve, and showing in elevation, partly broken away, the relief device. Fig. 10 is another Vertical crosssection of the valve-chest, the section being taken through the center of the chest and showing the valves in section. Fig. 11 is a crosssection of the main and cut- Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of the valve-gear, taken 011 the line 12 12 ofFig. 14. Fig. 13 is another horizontal section of the valve-gear, taken on the line 13 13 of Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a vertical cross-section on the line 14 14 of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a vertical section on the line 15 15 of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a vertical section on the line 16 16 of Fig. 14,

and Fig. 17 is a crosssection on the line 17 17 of Fig. 15.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts.

A, Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, represents the main valve-chest. Its steam-ports leading to the cylinder are shown at B B. The main valve 0 is what is styled a piston-valve, and, while its general form iscylindrical, its ends 0 are enlarged to fit the steam-chest op posite the ports B B, and between its ends it is reduced in diameter, substantially as shown, to provide for the passage of the exhaust-steam to the usual escape. Opposite the ports B B the valve-chest is preferably furnished with linings D D, so that the main valve in its working does not come immediately in contact with the shell of the valve-chest, but is made to work in the linings D D. Each lining D, opposite its port 13, has a series of perforations, (1, extending around the lining for the passage of the steam to and from the ports.

E represents the main-valve stem. It is at tached to the main valve by means of the part E, Figs. 4, 5, 10. The valve-stem is screwed into the part E, and this part in turn is attached to the shell of the main valve by means of the screws 0 c, substantially as shown.

F F represent-the packing-rings of themain valve, and F F those of the cut-off valve. The steam passes from the main-valve chest to the cylinder as follows: The main valve is tubular, and the live steam, which enters the chest at a, passes first into the interior 0 of the main valve, alternately at opposite ends thereof, and from the interior 0 it passes through the shell 0 of the main valve into the perforations (1 in the lining D, and thence into the port B, as indicated by the arrow at the lefthand end of the valve, as shown in Fig. 5. The shell 0 is suitably perforated or shaped at c" to provide for the passage of the steam, as described. The means for-cutting off the passage of the steam through the main valve is, as stated, afeature of the improvement.

G represents the cutoff valve. It consists, substantially, of two similar connected tubular like parts, 9 g, which are adapted to operate in connection with the main valve and with the ports B B, respectively. The mode of unit-ing the parts 9 g is preferably by means IOO p the shoulders 9 to hold them apart.

ofthe rods Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, which serve to tie the parts 9 g together, and, by means of The parts 9 9 can thus be moved forward and backward as one piece within the main valve.

G represents the eut-off-valve stem. It extends longitudinally through the main-valve stem E and part E, which are perforated to receive the stem G, and beyond the part E it is fastened to the rear part, 9, of the cutoff valve, substantially as shown in Fig. 4.

The cut-off valve is adapted to be moved longitudinally forward and backward with the main valve, and, as hereinafter explained, to be held stationary as the main valve moves upon it to cut off the passage of the steam, and after the main valve has been thus moved the steam remains cut off to the end of that half-stroke.

The construction thus far set forth therefore may, in a general way, be described as follows: First,' a tubular piston-valve, adapted to be moved reciprocatingly in the valvechest, and having lateral perforations in its shell through which the steam passes to the ports leading to the cylinder, and, second, a tubular cutoffvalve ofthe piston type, adapted to be moved reciprocatingly with, and at intervals held stationary within, the main valve,

and so as to open and close the lateral passages therein. An additional feature, however, of the cut-off valve remains to be con sidered.

In place of a single pair of pistons operating in connection with a single pair of lateral passagesin the shell of the main valve, a series is e1nployed-that is, each part 9 and g of the cutoff valve is provided with or constructed to form a series of, say, three rings or perforated disks, 9; and in place of a single entrance to the passage 0 there are as many entrances c as there are disks 9, and each disk is adapted to open and close the entrance 0 belonging to it. The aggregated areas of the ports 0 equal the area of the passage 0. In this manner the cut-off valve is enabled to open and close the lateral passage leading through the shell of the main valve with a minimum of movement. The shell of the main valve is suitably chambered at c to form a connection between the passages c and the passage 0". These chambers are conveniently formed by means of the linings c ,which are inserted in the shell of the main valve, and the passages 0 are made in the linings 0 substantially as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

The mechanism for operating the above-described valves will now be explained.

The main-valve stem E, after passing outward through the head a of the valve-chest, is extended at E", but not in line with the portion E. To this end the stem E is provided with an arm, E which projects downward from the stem E, and the extension E is attached to the arm E, substantially as shown in Figs. 12, 13, 14., 15, 16, 17. Atits other end the extension E connects with the usual mechanism (not here shown, saving in outline in Figs. 1, 2) employed to operate the valve-gear of a steam engine. The object of making the extension E in the form of an offset from the portion E is to provide room for the gear used in operating the cut-off valve.

11 represents an arm, secured, by means of the screws h, to the extension E". This arm projects, and is perforated to receive the cutoff-valve stem G',which passesloosely through the arm H, Figs. 12,13, 15, 16,17. At opposite sides of the arm H the stem G is provided with the shoulders I and 1, respectively.

J represents a part, which may be termed a head, that by means of the keys j, Figs. 12, 14, 15, 16, is fastened to the stem G, but so as to encircle a sleeve, K, which extends loosely upon the cutoffvalve stem forward and backward past the head J, substantially as shown; and as the stem G and sleeve K are adapted to be moved upon each other, as presently explained, the sleeve is slotted at 76 to admit the kcysj, and the head J is loose upon the sleeve.

L L represent springs encircling the sleeve K on opposite sides, respectively, of the head J. These springs at one end bear against the head J and respectively upon opposite sides thereof, and at the other end the springs bear, respectively, against the tappets M M, which are fastened to the sleeve K, and respectively upon opposite sides of the head J, toward the end of the sleeve.

N N represent stops, which loosely encircle the stem G at points respectively beyond the tappets M M.

The movement of the parts last above described is as follows: Let the main valve and its stem be making its stroke, say, to the right, as shown in Fig. 15. its stem move, by reason of the friction of the parts, with the main valve and stem as one part until that point of the movement is reached at which it is desired to cut off the steam, when the tappet M, which, through the agency of the sleeve, spring L, and head J, is carried along with the cut-ofi--valve stem, encounters the stop N. This operates to arrest the movement in the direction named of the cutoff valve, and the main valve slips to the right upon it, causing the .passagesc to be covered by the disks g and the steam to he cut off. The main valve and stem continue to slip upon the cut-off valve and stem, respectively, until the arm H encounters the shoulder 1 upon the cutoff-valve stem,whereupon the cut-off valve and stem are moved along again with the main valve and stem to the end of the stroke of the main valve and stem. As the stop N does not yield, the head J during this lastdescribed part of thestroke of the main valve, when the cutoff valve is again moving along with it, compresses the spring L against the tappet M, the degree of compression being according to the distance the main valve has to move after the arm H On the rehas encountered the shoulder I.

The cut-off valve and IIO turnstroke of the valves and valve-gear, the two valves and stems first move together, as before, to the point of cut off, the tappet M moving away from the stop 1 and the tappet M moving against the stop N. The main valve and stemnow slip to the left upon the cut-off valve and stem until the arm H encounters the shoulder T, when both valves and stems move together to the end of the stroke to the left of the main valve and stem, and during the last part of the stroke the spring L is compressed by the head J against the tappet M. As the head J compresses the springs L L alternately, it is slipped first to the right and then to the left upon the sleeve K, and the keysj move along the slots kltfililld as the head moves alternately away from the springs L L they are alternately expanded to theoriginal length. The sleeve K is also moved forward and backward through the stops N N as the tappets M M are alternately pushed by the springs L L, respectively. The position of the'stops N N, it will be seen, determines the point of cut off, and this in turn, to render the cut off automatic,

is determined by the action of the governor I 0, Figs. 1., 2. This lastnamed partfis constructed and operated in the usual manner. lts stem 0, which may be termed the regulating-stem, as its movement determines the position of the stops N N, is by any suitable means attached to a shaft, 1?, to which is also attached a lever, Q, which in turn is jointed at q to a rod, R, that leads downward, and is attached toa frame, S, Figs. 1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. The vibration of the stem 0 in this manner is coi'nmunicated to the frame S, which in consequence oscillates responsively to the movement of the stem. The frame S in the present instance consists of the two parts 8 8, arranged, respectively, upon opposite sides of the cutoff-valve gear. The parts 8 s are connected with the rod R by means of the bolts 8, which extend from the parts 8 s and are at tached to the cross bar 8, which in turn is attached to the rod 1%, as shown in Fig. 14. The parts 8 s are adapted to be reciprocated vertically in the guide-frame T, Figs. 12, 13, 14, 1.5, 16, which is sustained in position by means of the arms i t, which project from any suitable support-- say the valve-chest A. The parts 8 s ale slotted at s s, the slots being iuclined toward each other, as shown in Figs. 15, 16. The stops N N, by. means of the arms an, are connected with the blocks a a, which are adapted to work in the slots 8" sthat is, the stop N, by means of the arms a a, is connected with the blocks a a, which move in those slots 8 which are toward the stop N, and the stop N is similarly connected with the blocks which move in the slots toward it. The arms a a at one end are pivoted to the stop, and at the other end to the block's. \Vhen the frame S is drawn upward, the blocks a, by reason of the inclination of the slots 8, are drawn toward each other, and when the frame S is lowered, 'the blocks a are-moved from each other, and as the stops N N are connected with the blocks they are closed toward or opened apart from each other, aceordiug to the movement of the governorstem, and the nearer the stops are to each other the sooner the steam is cut off".

An additional feature of the improvement, and onethat is useful in many forms of steamengines, and especially in steam-engines having a piston'valve, is shown in Fig. 9. Au undue back-air pressure, exceeding the boilerpressure, frequently occurs in the cylinder of a steam-engine, and particularly in the cylinders of a locomotive upon a downgrade with the ports covered by the valve. A valve such as the ordinary flat valve can, under such circumstances, lift from its seat; but a .piston'valve must remain in place, and the pressure cannot be relieved through the ports. To obviate this difficulty and to relieve the air-pressure within the cylinder, which otherwise is liable to cause a fracture of the cylinder or some other part, Iprovide a passage leading from the cylinder to the side pipe, or some part which supplies the livesteam to the engine, and provided with a check-valve for preventing the steam from entering the cylinder through the passage in questiombnt which will lift and permit the air to pass in the opposite direction whenever the air-pressu re ex ceeds the steam-pressure. The most convenient means for effecting this is by means of the pipe U, which leads from the port B to the side pige, a", and having a check-valveu, asshown. There is one of these pipes for each port B.

The pipe U beyond the valve u might open to the outer air, and in such case the valve should be weighted to the pressure of the steam.

Another feature of the i mprovementisshown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7. The cut-off valve should be practically entirely free of the main valve, so as not to be carried along with the latter, saving in the manner above described. Now, the live steam is liable to set the packingrings of the cnt-oif valve outward against the shell of the main valve, or, in the present instance, against the lining 0", so as to bind the two valves together. To prevent this, the live steam is applied to the external periphery of the cutoff-valve packing-rings, and preferably as follows: c representpassages extending from the end of the lining D inward and coming to the internal surface of that lining at points 0, so as to supply the steam at each stroke of the main valve to the chamber 0, and thence to the exterior of the cutoff-valve packing-rings, and thereby equalize the pressure thereupon, and, in consequence, to leave IIO the cut-off valve free within the main valve at the proper time to cut off at the opposite end of the stroke.

In Figs. 15, 16, 17 is shown what may be termed a brake--namely, a device for insuring the movement ofthe cut-off valve, so that it shall be carried along with the main valve, saving when its movement is positively arrested, as above described. By means of the device W a part attached to the arm H can be pressed with more or less pressure, as may be necessary, against or upon the cut-off valve stem or some fixture upon the cut-offvalve stem. In the present instance the stem G is provided with a squared sleeve, or enlargement,which comes between two wooden plates, 10 10, held in the arm I and by means of the belt 10 held in the arm H, the nut w,

working on the bolt, the spring 20* beneath the.

nut and bearing upon a plate, 10'', which in turn bears upon the pins 20, and they in turn upon the plate 10, the upper plate, 10, can be pressed sufficiently upon the part g to efljeet the desired end, and if more is at any time needed, the nut 10 is screwed farther down upon the bolt 20.

To strengthen the bed-plate Y Figs. 1, 3, I employ wrought-iron ties Y Y, which at each side of the bed-plate are secured to projections 3/ y upon the bedplate. The ties are secured by the screws y 3 respectively, in the projection and in the tie and the connectingthimble y.

I claim-- 1. The bed-plate having the tics Y Y, extending longitudinally above it and at their ends secured to projections from the bedplate, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the valvechest having the steam-ports, the tubular laterally-perforated main valve, and the cut-off valve consisting ofthe two series of rings or perforated disks, as described.

3. The combination of the tubular main valve having the chambers c c" and passages c and the cut-off valve composed of the two series of rings or perforated disks, as described.

4. The combination of the valve-chest, the perforated linings D D, the main valve chambered and perforated, as described, the perforated lining a, and the cutoff valve, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the valvechest having the portsB B, the linings D D, perforated at d, the main valve 0, having the passages c" c and chambers 0 the perforated linings 0 the stems E G, the part E, the cutoff-valve parts 9 g, and the rods 9 substantially as described.

6. Thecombination ofthe eut-off-valve stem, the parts 9 g, and the rods 9 as described.

" 7. The combination of the stem E, the part E, the tubular valve 0, and the screws 6, as described.

8. The tubular main valve attached by means of the part E to its stem, and having the cutoff-valve parts 9 9 working within it and respectively at opposite sides of said part E, as described.

9. The tubular main valve attached by means of the part E to its stem, in combination with the cut-off valve, whose stem works through the part E, and whose parts g work, respectively, at opposite sides of said part, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the cut-off-valve stem having the head J, with the springs L L, and the sleeve K, having the tappets, as described.

11. The combination of the cut-off-valve stem, the head J, the springs L L, the sleeve K, the tappets M M, and the stops N N, as

described.

12. The stops N N, moving responsively to the movement of the governor, in combination with the cut-offivalve ste1n,-the head J, the springs L L, the sleeve K, and the tap pets M M, as described.

13. The combination of the stem E, having the offset and arm H, the stem G, having the shoulders I I, the head J, the sleeve K, the springs L L, the tappets M M, and the stops N N, as described.

14. The combination of the stops N N, the arms a n, the blocks a a, the frame T, and the movable frame S, as described.

15. A steam-engine having a pist0n-valve working in its valvechest, and in combination therewith an air-pressure relief device, substantially as described.

16. The valve-chest having the steanrpassages 0 in combination with a sliding main valve and a sliding cutoff valve, as and for the purpose set forth.

17. The combination of the tubular main valve and the internal cutoff valve, the shell of the valve'chest having the steam-passages 0 extending as and for the purpose described.

18. The combination of the arm H, the stem G, and the parts w w" 10 w 10 to, as and for the purposes described.

XVitness my hand.

ANDREW J. VANDEGEIFT.

\Vitnesses:

C. D. MooDY, J. V. HOKE. 

